Sauder Schelkopf is actively investigating a significant data breach involving the Archdiocese of New Orleans and its bankruptcy consulting firm, Berkeley Research Group (BRG). The breach may have exposed highly sensitive and confidential information, including the personal identifying data of clergy sexual abuse survivors, students, teachers, and donors.
According to public reports and court filings, the FBI is investigating a February 2025 ransomware attack on BRG, a California-based firm retained in the Archdiocese’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy. It is believed that the attackers accessed files containing names and other personally identifiable information (PII) tied to survivors of clergy sexual abuse—some of which may be protected by court-ordered confidentiality or non-disclosure agreements.
The exposure of this information is especially alarming given the sensitive nature of the claims and the vulnerability of the affected individuals. Survivors of clergy abuse were assured confidentiality as part of the legal process, and any breach of that trust can cause lasting harm.
The Archdiocese filed for bankruptcy in 2020 amid mounting sexual abuse allegations. This breach adds to growing concerns about the Church’s handling of sensitive information and its obligations to protect survivors during the bankruptcy process.
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Sauder Schelkopf has a nationally recognized litigation practice. The firm currently serves as court-appointed lead counsel in courts across the country. The attorneys at Sauder Schelkopf have recovered over $1 billion on behalf of their clients and class members. Our firm was recognized by the Legal Intelligencer’s 2022 Professional Excellence Awards. The Legal Intelligencer’s Professional Excellence Awards honor Pennsylvania law firms and attorneys who have made a significant, positive impact on the legal profession. Our firm was named in the Litigation Departments of the Year (Specialty Area category; runner-up), an award that honors the best litigation practice in a small or mid-sized firm in Pennsylvania. This recognition was based on the firm’s 2021 litigation work and its important ongoing cases. LawDragon has recognized our attorneys in its list of the “500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers” for 2022. This list notes: “From the opioid epidemic to toxic substances and defective products, truck accidents to wildfires and sexual abuse, these are the lawyers who stand on the front line in individual lawsuits and class actions seeking justice.” Mr. Schelkopf was named to Pennsylvania’s Best Lawyers® 2022 for Class Actions/Mass Tort Litigation. The American Lawyer named Mr. Sauder to its 2021 Northeast Trailblazers. The honor recognizes 60 lawyers who are “truly agents of change.” It “recognizes professionals in the Northeast who have moved the needle in the legal industry.” The Legal Intelligencer named Mr. Sauder and Mr. Schelkopf in its 2020 Pennsylvania Trailblazers list recognizing 31 lawyers who “have taken extra measures to contribute to positive outcomes . . . and who are truly agents of change.” The Legal highlighted the firm’s innovative work on advocacy as class counsel in large institutional sex abuse cover-ups, women’s, and children’s rights. Our attorneys have also consistently been recognized by their peers being named to Pennsylvania SuperLawyer, a distinction held by the top 5% of attorneys in Pennsylvania. The National Trial Lawyers Association has also selected our attorneys as the Top 100 Trial Lawyers in Pennsylvania.
We Want to Hear from You
If you or a loved one were impacted by the Archdiocese of New Orleans data breach, contact Sauder Schelkopf to discuss your legal rights in a confidential consultation.